Duke Basketball Recruiting Roundup: June 24 Edition

Thanks for checking out the latest Duke basketball recruiting roundup. Each week, we highlight some of the biggest recruiting stories and headlines related to players the Blue Devils are targeting.

It’s a busy time for the Duke basketball program as the coaches are focusing on a variety of activities related to USA Basketball, both in terms of recruiting and responsibilities with the senior national team.

Andrew Slater of 247Sports has a rather extensive feature and lengthy interview with 2017 5-star Gary Trent Jr. The 6’5”, 205-pound shooting guard from Minnesota is currently representing his country with Team USA at the FIBA U17 World Championships in Spain, and Slater got some great insight on Trent’s game from his coach with the national team – Don Showalter. Trent also talked about a variety of topics in his interview with Slater, including his thoughts on his teammates with USA Basketball, how his game has progressed over the past year, and where he’s at in his recruitment.

Quade Green has grabbed the attention of many over the past few months with his passing and defensive ability on the EYBL circuit, and it was certainly enough to impress the Duke coaches. The Blue Devils hosted the 2017 5-star point guard from Philadelphia on an unofficial visit this past weekend and extended him a scholarship offer. Green plays his AAU basketball with the PSA Cardinals, where he’s teammates with Mohamed Bamba and Deng Gak – two other 2017 targets who hold offers from Duke.

Duke is one of many schools that has coaches in attendance at the FIBA U17 World Championships in Spain this week. Some of the top recruiting targets for the Blue Devils are participating in this year’s event, including Wendell Carter, Kevin Knox, and Gary Trent Jr. They’re also evaluating some other potential targets, such as Collin Sexton, who’s seen his stock rise this summer as one of the premier scorers in the EYBL.

According to Jerry Meyer of 247Sports, Duke is interested in Zion Williamson, a 5-star forward from South Carolina in the class of 2018. Williamson recently participated in the NBA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va., and was one of the most dominant players in attendance, leading the event in scoring. Alabama, Virginia, Clemson, South Carolina, and Georgetown have also shown interest in him, but the Blue Devils are already viewed as the early favorites in his recruitment.

Nothing major here, but as part of the coverage of LeBron James leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Championship, Bleacher Report and ESPN noted that LeBron’s 11-year-old son, LeBron James Jr., already has standing scholarship offers from Duke and Kentucky. Coach K has a great relationship with LeBron through his participation in USA Basketball, which makes Duke one of the few college programs with a connection to the best player in the world. Who knows if anything will come of this, but it’s nice to dream about a kid named LeBron James wearing a Duke uniform!

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